Saturday, October 31, 2009

Thursday, October 29, 2009

We joined Ella's class for a trip to the zoo today. It was perfect to be on top of the mountain. We touched a screech owl and learned the word "crepuscular". Does it get much better? The drive was beautiful, the fog nestling down in the hollows of the mountains and the orange, red, and brown leaves on the hillsides. There won't be many more days for wearing shorts.

Tonight the kids and I carved two pumpkins. Ella picked out every seed and we roasted them with a bit of olive oil and salt.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

I just made my first holiday purchases for the sweet potatoes. Remembering the stockings when I was little, I got John and Ella nutcrackers. They will have nuts and oranges in their socks this year. I found slates and slate pencils for both of them, twig colored pencils and Stockmar watercolors.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Sweet, sweet Ruby tried my very soul today. My mother is visiting, and I asked her to come so that I could get lots of housework done. The whole house needs cleaning. Things are piling up, wearing out, breaking off, and drifting in dust. Ella's birthday marks the beginning of the spinning towards Christmas, and I want to restore some sense of order. John is probably laughing. I know. What order? I want to get all the seashells in the seashell basket. I did get the mold off the bathroom ceiling tonight.

Ruby would not nap unless I held her. Zip. Zero. There was much weeping. She slept three minutes at midday and I held her for fifteen minutes while I was trying to make dinner. She ate heartily, had her bath, and then sobbed her head off when I put her to bed. She tried her best to dive headfirst off of my bed but finally gave in to sweet, sweet sleep.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

I'm guessing that after Halloween I'll have time to start a new project, and I know just what I want to make. There is a cold wind in the air, and we are seeing how long we can go without turning on the heat.

For now I'm making dolls, making a quilt with fifteen second graders, and trying to keep Ruby off of the dining room table. Let's just say it is a full time job.

About Me

Literally translated, oya baka is a japanese word that means "parent stupid", over the top big love for my three littles.
We moved to Appalachia after spending six years in Portland, Oregon. Our native Oregonian is fifteen years old now, and the
little man is eleven. Ruby June is eight.
We moved into a 130 year old farmhouse in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I like homemade music, chickens, taking photos, kimchi making, bread kneading, seed planting, star gazing, tent camping, coffee drinking, zinnias, borage flowers, sunflowers, Adrienne Rich, the smell of old books, candle smoke, red wine, wood fires, Mary Oliver, sriracha,
and knitting on the back porch. By day, I teach preschool.